STANFORD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Stanford University School of Medicine today begins a new era with
the dedication of the Li Ka Shing Center for Learning and Knowledge,
expected to dramatically change the way in which physicians are trained.

The five-story building with a diverse array of sophisticated
technologies — including one of the largest and most advanced simulation
facilities in the country and a high-end video capture system —
represents the latest in medical education. It is designed for
interactive, experiential and team-based approaches to learning for
people at all levels, from incoming medical students to experienced
clinicians.

Speaking at today’s dedication ceremony, Stanford University President
John Hennessy, PhD, said, “The Li Ka Shing Center for Learning and
Knowledge exemplifies the future of medical education. Positioned in the
center of the Stanford University School of Medicine, the LKSC builds on
our strengths in the biomedical sciences and related disciplines. Its
use of cutting-edge technology advances a new model for educating
doctors and scientists in this century and will allow us to make even
greater contributions to society. We owe a special thanks to Mr. Li
Ka-shing for his visionary philanthropy, as well as to the many other
donors whose generosity has made this building possible.”

Hong Kong entrepreneur and global philanthropist Li Ka-shing, a longtime
friend of Stanford, is the building’s major benefactor. He was attracted
to the project because of his continuing relationship with the
university and its dedication to the highest standards and innovation in
health-care sciences, as well as his belief that the new center will
contribute to transformative change in medicine through leading-edge
education that reaches beyond traditional health-care training to
include knowledge and learning from many other disciplines.

“Stanford has a proud and honored history in medical education, research
and delivery,” Mr. Li said at today’s dedication ceremonies. “This new
center opens an exciting and even futuristic multi-dimensional learning
experience by creating a synergy of interdisciplinary programs to
provide virtual training and tools for students and practitioners to
receive the best information and knowledge across an infinite array of
academic platforms. There is nothing like it in the world, and we are
pleased to be a part of this historic day.”

Mr. Li, who traveled from Hong Kong for the building’s dedication, is
the chairman of Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited and Hutchison Whampoa
Limited, two of Asia’s most prominent companies, with more than 240,000
employees in 54 countries.

He is also chairman of the Li Ka Shing Foundation and has pledged
one-third of his assets to philanthropy. To date, Mr. Li has granted
more than $1.45 billion to projects worldwide, including support for the
new education center, and he maintains an endowment of $7 billion in the
foundation. The Li Ka Shing Center for Learning and Knowledge is the
foundation’s third major project with Stanford, which he has been
associated with since 1983. To date, Mr. Li has contributed more than
$37 million to support its medical and research programs.

The new 120,000-square-foot center faces Campus Drive, overlooking an
expansive, park-like front lawn and creating a welcoming entrance to the
school. Its sweeping, red-trimmed roof and limestone exterior echo the
architecture of the university’s main quadrangle. The building sits at
the crossroads of the medical and the university campuses and is
expected to be the focus of many multidisciplinary efforts.

“I believe this building is truly transformative, that it will
recalibrate the way medical education is conducted and will be
enormously attractive to our community locally, nationally and
globally,” said Philip Pizzo, MD, dean of the School of Medicine.

The building, which welcomed its first students Aug. 16, will be the hub
for all of the school’s educational activities. Its ground floor houses
the 28,000-square-foot Hon Mai and Joseph Goodman Center for Simulation
and Immersive Learning, a world-class center that is one of the largest
and most comprehensive facilities of its kind, according to David Gaba,
MD, associate dean for immersive and simulation-based learning.

“In its fully simulated hospital, trainees can use programmable
mannequins that bleed, breathe, blink and talk to test their skills in
managing virtually any kind of medical condition, from heart attacks and
severe allergic reactions to catastrophic hemorrhage and obstetric
complications,” said Gaba, who pioneered the first medical modern
mannequin-based simulator 25 years ago.

The hospital includes a fully equipped operating room and a multi-bay
emergency room, where teams can test their split-second responses to
medical crises or simulate a mass casualty emergency, among other
activities, he said. Trainees also can use individual simulation devices
to acquire or test psychomotor skills in doing hands-on surgery; conduct
a prostate exam; or learn how to diagnosis cardiac and lung problems on
a specialized mannequin with lifelike heart sounds, pulses, jugular vein
distention and other physical signs.

The simulation center sets aside a space for the use of online “virtual
worlds,” and a large room where Gaba and his colleagues are planning to
develop a virtual-reality environment that would be a first step toward
the Star Trek holodeck, where trainees can treat virtual patients
and collaborate with virtual co-workers.

The building also has classic-looking classrooms and both large and
small meeting spaces, with an added bonus: Every part of the building is
equipped with the ability to capture activities on video and send it
throughout the building. The facility has more technology than any other
building on campus, with $9 million in audiovisual equipment and a
high-end wiring system.

That means, for instance, that people in a second-floor classroom could
observe a scenario under way in the simulation center, even pausing to
discuss what steps to advise those in the simulation to take next.

The entire building is geared for maximum flexibility, to adapt to the
school’s changing curriculum. For instance, the 350-person conference
room on the second floor can be set up as a tiered lecture hall with
stadium-style seating, as a full banquet facility or as a standard
conference room with 5-foot rectangular tables.

The building replaces the school’s 50-year-old education and library
facilities, constructed when the school moved from San Francisco to Palo
Alto. Those facilities will be maintained and adapted for research and
administrative uses.

The building was designed by the international architecture firm, NBBJ,
a global architecture, planning and design firm that helps companies and
organizations create innovative places. The firm has planned and
designed science facilities for many of the world’s leading research
institutions, including the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and the
Novartis Research Foundation.

The total cost of the building is $90.2 million, financed through
private philanthropy, debt and school resources.

The Stanford University School of Medicine consistently ranks among
the nation’s top medical schools, integrating research, medical
education, patient care and community service. For more news about the
school, please visit http://mednews.stanford.edu.
The medical school is part of Stanford Medicine, which includes Stanford
Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. For
information about all three, please visit http://stanfordmedicine.org/about/news.html.

The Li Ka Shing Foundation was established in 1980 by global
entrepreneur and philanthropist Li Ka-shing, who considers the
Foundation to be his "third son" and has pledged one-third of his assets
to it.To date, the foundation has granted over HK$11.3 billion
(US$1.45 billion) in charitable donations, over 80 per cent of which has
gone to the Greater China region. The foundation supports projects that
propel social progress and create a cycle of charity in the world
through expanding access to quality education and health care,
encouraging cultural diversity and exploration, and stimulating
community involvement and sustainable development.For more
information, please visit www.lksf.org.